The Perfect Moment
by tivaforever235
Summary: In the aftermath of the DOD investigation Tony and Ziva, along with McGee and Abby, spend a night healing each other and spending some much needed team bonding time. Mostly Tony/Ziva with a little bit of the rest of the team.


**I needed a little happy after the finale. I can't seem to stop analyzing it so I wrote this to make myself stop! This is what I would looooove to happen during the "four months later", but I have a feeling my wishes won't be granted. I hope you enjoy this and please give me any suggestions or comments you have!**

The Perfect Moment

The apartment was dark with only a few lamps turned on. Tony Dinozzo and his partner, Ziva David were in the kitchen, the only light coming from above the stove and a lamp on the bar in the corner. Ziva, dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a dark green tank top, was sitting on top of the counter sipping a glass of wine. Tony, also dressed casually in a pair of black sweat pants, a red Ohio State t-shirt and bare feet, was standing next to her in front of the stove, also sipping a glass of wine. He was making pasta, a special recipe from his mother that was really the only thing he knew how to make.

"It smells good, Tony," Ziva said while taking a sip of the Merlot.

Tony glanced up at her and smiled, letting the affection come through on his face. Ever since they had turned in their badges, they'd been attached at the hip. Ziva was determined to repair the rift she'd caused when she slept with Adam while Tony just needed to be around her. Both of them were trying to keep their minds off worrying about Gibbs and the best way to do that seemed to come from being together.

"Thanks," He said and playfully nudged her leg. "Hopefully I'll do my mom proud."

"I think you have already done that," She said softly, looking at him knowingly.

"I hope so. I haven't done anything lately to make her proud," He said as he stirred the sauce, the conversation suddenly becoming serious.

"That is not true," Ziva replied forcefully causing Tony to glance at her with an eyebrow raised. "What? It is not true, Tony. I can list off many good things you have done. And you have always stood by me no matter what horrible things I do to you. That has to count for something, yes?"

Tony had stopped stirring and was turned towards her, staring with shock at her outburst. Ziva set her wine aside and grabbed his upper arm, pulling him until he stood in front of her. She tentatively placed her hand on his cheek with a small smile. Sighing, a sad smile crept up his face and he rubbed a hand down her arm.

"Why do you have so much faith in me?" He asked.

"Because you have faith in me. Despite everything we have been through," She said as she slid her hand to the back of his neck to run her fingers through the hair there.

Tony smiled as his heart started beating faster. He placed his hand on her waist and placed a kiss on her forehead. Reluctantly he stepped away from her to return to the stove before their dinner burned. He took the sauce off the stove and turned to the sink to drain the pasta. As he combined them he couldn't help but hope that this would become a routine. Over the past year he'd come to realize he wasn't just feeling like an overprotective partner wherever she was concerned. He loved her. He wanted a life with her, a future. He wanted to come home with her after a long day and make dinner, curl up and watch a movie, just be together.

After eating their dinner, Ziva mentioning multiple times how good it was, they turned off the lights in the kitchen. Tony took her hand and curled his fingers around hers to lead her to the couch. She sank into the cushions while he made his way to the shelf to pick the movie. A knock on the door stopped him and he opened it to find McGee and Abby on his doorstep, also in lounge clothes.

"Hey guys," McGee said with a small smile. "We were bored so we thought maybe we could all hang out."

"Sure," Tony said as he waved them in. "Come on in."

McGee came in first followed by Abby who threw her arms around Tony's neck and squeezed tightly. She was having a hard time coping with the changes, harder than most of them honestly. Normally he would have teased her about not being able to breathe, but this time he squeezed back just as tightly and rubbed her back when they pulled apart. He closed the door and turned to the living room and found McGee and Ziva hugging as well. Abby made her way to the shelf to pick a movie while Tony stepped around McGee to make himself comfortable in the corner of the couch.

"There's pasta leftover in the kitchen if you guys are hungry," He said as he grabbed Ziva's hand and tugged her down to sit next to him. He put one arm over the back of the couch and the other over the arm while Ziva pulled her legs up and leaned just a tad too close to be considered just friends.

"You cooked, Tony?" McGee asked skeptically. He watched how easily his partners sank into each other and furrowed his brows. "Did we interrupt a date?"

That got Abby's attention and she raced to McGee's side with hands on her hips and a big smile gracing her face for the first time in weeks. Tony and Ziva hesitated, both wanting to say yes but afraid to for fear of what the other would say. But that was all any of them needed. Before McGee and Abby could quickly excuse themselves, both Tony and Ziva ordered them to put in a movie and sit. Abby chose _Pirate's of the Caribbean _because, in her words, she needed something fun to keep her mind off life. McGee sat on the other end of the couch while Abby chose the armchair next to the couch. Ziva grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over both her and Tony's legs.

The movie was holding McGee and Abby's attention, but both Tony and Ziva were distracted. They knew things were going to change if not tonight then soon. Tony was busy trying to figure out how he could talk her into staying tonight when he suddenly felt her snake her arm around his waist and lean fully against him. Her head made its' way to his chest and a smile broke on his face. He dropped his arm from the side of the couch to rub her arm and placed a kiss on her temple.

"Should we kick them out?" He whispered very quietly in her ear so that McGee and Abby wouldn't hear.

"I think we need some team time," She whispered back as she pulled back to place her chin on his chest. "But I am not going anywhere tonight, Tony."

"Good," He whispered, glancing over to make sure they hadn't disturbed McGee or Abby.

Both the forensic scientist and their partner were blissfully unaware of what was going on at the end of the couch. Ziva had pulled the blanket further up so that it was almost covering all of her body. Under the blanket she was teasing him, rubbing his stomach until she almost reached his quickly growing erection. He reached under the blanket and reluctantly stopped her teasing knowing that if it went further they might give Abby and McGee a show. Ziva lifted her eyes to find his sparkling with happiness causing her to smile back. He placed a kiss on her temple then her cheek until he reached her neck. Suddenly, Abby paused the movie and stood up.

"I think we need popcorn," She said and started for the kitchen. "Where is it, Tony?"

"Cabinet next to the microwave," He said.

McGee got up to use the restroom, leaving Tony and Ziva alone. Tony leaned over to make sure Abby wasn't paying attention then turned and finally placed his mouth on hers in a bruising yet passionate kiss. One hand tangled in her hair while the other stayed on her waist to pull her closer. Tony heard the toilet flush and reluctantly pulled back to make sure they hadn't been caught. He glanced back down to find Ziva biting her lip and looking up at him lovingly. He smiled back at her and placed another kiss on her lips, pulling back right before McGee opened the bedroom door. Abby came back in with two bowls of popcorn in her hands. She sat down next to McGee on the couch and handed one of the bowls to Ziva. Abby picked up the remote, but didn't press play. Instead she turned toward Tony and Ziva with a knowing smirk on her face.

"We can leave so you can make out if you want," She said with a smile.

"What are you talking about, Abby?" Tony asked, trying to pretend they didn't know what she meant.

"Come on," McGee said, the same smirk present on his face. "We're not deaf or blind. If you want to be alone we can leave."

"No it's ok," Tony said as he brought his arm off the back of the couch to wrap around Ziva's shoulders. "We've all been through a lot lately and we all need some time together."

Abby squinted at them in suspicion, but in the end she shrugged her shoulders and turned the movie back on. She placed the remote on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. Instead of taking a piece of popcorn from the bowl in McGee's lap, she reached over and grabbed Ziva's hand. Ziva looked up at her with a question in her eyes.

"I'm really happy for you guys," Abby said as she squeezed Ziva's hand. "And it's about damn time."

"I second that," McGee said with a smile.

"Thank you," Ziva whispered as tears threatened to trail down her cheeks.

By the end of the movie they were all cuddled up on the couch. Abby had her head in McGee's lap while Ziva had her head in Tony's. The blanket that had covered Tony and Ziva was now over the girls' legs. Tony and McGee had their legs up on the coffee table. Tony switched off the movie and changed to a music channel, the smooth jazz beginning to fill the apartment. Both Abby and Ziva rolled to their backs, still huddled under the blanket. Tony had his right arm draped snuggly around Ziva's waist and his other tangled in her hair.

"You know, I never thought we would all be here," Abby said as she crossed her arms over her stomach.

"What do you mean Abby?" McGee asked, looking down in confusion.

"I mean, snuggled up on a couch watching movies," Abby said as she reached over and patted Ziva's knee. "I missed how close we all used to be."

"It's been a rough year," Tony said as he continued to play with Ziva's dark curls.

"That it has," Abby said with a heavy sigh. "On a happy note Kayla got an A in her science class thanks to my help on her science project!"

Tony let out a "Ha!" and lifted his arm off Ziva's waist to place a stinging high-five on Abby's waiting hand. Tony settled his arm back across Ziva's waist and she rubbed a hand across it. "Anyone could get an A with you for a tutor, Abs."

"Even you?"

"Even me," He said with a chuckle.

They spent the next hour talking and laughing. It was like all the worries in their world were gone and didn't matter. Ziva was quiet though, her small chuckles and smiles the only sounds she was making. The whole time all she did was stroke Tony's arm.

"You ok, Zi?" Tony asked as she glanced up at him and sighed.

"Is this my fault?" She whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"Is what your fault?" McGee asked with his brow furrowed.

"Everything," She said as she sat up. Tony pulled her in his lap and rubbed her back as she put an elbow on the back of the couch and leaned her head in her hand. "The DOD investigation, Parsons, giving up our badges."

"None of this is your fault, Ziva," Tony said and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "We're a team. Sometimes we have to take a bullet for each other."

"This bullet was just a little bigger that's all," McGee said with a small smile. "It took out all of us."

"If I hadn't killed Ilan, Parsons never would have shown up," She said stubbornly.

"Parsons would have shown up either way," Abby said as she sat up to sit on the coffee table. "Everything will be ok in the end. You'll all get your jobs back and Gibbs will come back in one piece."

"If something happens to him..." Ziva whispered as the tears she had held back started to trail down her cheeks. She sank further into Tony's embrace, laying her head on his shoulder.

Tony rubbed her back not knowing what else to do. He wished he could take away all the pain she was going through. Knowing her as well as he did, it would take a while before she accepted that none of this was her fault. McGee watched his partners and sighed, knowing exactly how stubborn she was too.

"You know," Tony said as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Times like these call for bourbon, Gibbs-style. I don't have any bourbon, but I do have beer."

"I'll get it," McGee said as Abby stood up to help him.

Ziva whipped the tear off her cheek as Tony pressed a kiss on her forehead. He rubbed her back as she seemed to calm down finally.

"Zi, I promise you this isn't your fault. None of us ever thought it was nor will we ever think it was. I'll always be here for you and I'm always on your side, no matter what," He said.

Ziva's small smile graced her face. She placed a hand on his cheek to guide his lips to hers. He placed a hand on her waist more than happy to take her mind off everything this way. Ziva was the first to pull back, but she didn't go far. Tracing a finger across his cheek she let her love for him show in her brown eyes.

"I have never needed someone as much as I need you," She whispered. "No matter what happens I cannot lose you."

"I will fight for this, for us," He said as he placed a hand on her cheek. "And no one will take me away from you. Because I've never needed someone as much as I need you."

The brilliant Mona Lisa smile graced her face, her tears finally stopped as she listened to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, burrowing deeper into the embrace of the man she loved. Abby and McGee returned, each with beer in their hands. Abby sank next to Tony and handed both a beer, a smile on her face.

"I can't believe it took you guys this long," Abby teased as she took a swig of her beer.

Tony looked down at Ziva who was still snuggled in his lap. She looked back up into his green eyes and smiled, also wondering why it took them so long.

"I don't think either one of us was ready for it before now," Tony said as he rubbed up and down her back. "Everything we've been through has made us stronger together. More prepared for this."

"The old me would have used you," Ziva said sadly. "You deserve better than that."

"All I want is you," He said with a shrug as if it was completely obvious. "Anything else is icing on the cake."

Abby squealed causing McGee to flinch, but Ziva only had eyes for Tony. Leaning up she placed a small kiss on his lips. They pulled apart and Tony pressed a kiss to her cheek before placing his lips on her ear. Abby watched as Tony whispered something lovingly in her ear, a serene smile blooming on her face.

"Ugh stop being so polite you guys," Abby said as she put her beer on the coffee table and stood up, pulling McGee with her. "I'm kicking us out of this love nest."

This time Tony and Ziva put up no fight and instead walked them to the door hand in hand. Before they left, Abby grabbed Ziva in a tight embrace, squeezing her and to everyone's surprise Ziva squeezed right back. After promising Abby that they would all hang out like this more often, Tony shut the door behind them and turned to find Ziva watching him lovingly. He gathered her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground. He pressed a kiss to her neck and squeezed her tight.

"I love you," He whispered.

"I know," She whispered in return as she pulled back. "And I love you, too."

**I honestly didn't want to have them say I love you in this one because I feel like I always do that, but it felt right for this one. Stay tuned for a multi-chapter story about Ziva getting kidnapped! It's almost ready for you! **


End file.
